odourless fluid under drivers side

[adam03031980]

Hi all I'm getting an oily odourless fluid under the drivers side of the car I thought it was the air con but haven't had it on for days and I'm not losing coolant any ideas its a 2.0 hdi 90

[GingerMagic]

Put a piece of white kitchen towel or something over the puddle to see what colour the fluid is - just to help point us/you in the right direction.

Either power steering ( red ) or diesel ( not red... ) is most likely, unless its the washer reservoir by the front wheel arch behind the bumper?

[Welly]

Water trapped in the sills? slowly leaking out?

[GingerMagic]

Someone borrowed your car and went Dogging....?

The sills thing is a good shout.

[steve_earwig]

So long as it isn't brake fluid...

[Welly]

Or next-doors incontinent Cat....

[GingerMagic]

Just a thought - when I've been driving my lorry with the air-con on, water pisses out all over the floor and people keep stopping me saying theres a water leak ( even the local mechanics! ) but it is simply the excess water/condensation from the condenser dripping on the floor....

[Welly]

Ooooh get you with your air-conditioned Lorry

If you were paying attention earlier in the show you'd have noticed the OP saying he hasn't used the a/c for days

[Doggy]

Someone borrowed your car and went Dogging....?

Say, what?

Just a thought - when I've been driving my lorry with the air-con on, water pisses out all over the floor and people keep stopping me saying theres a water leak ( even the local mechanics! ) but it is simply the excess water/condensation from the condenser dripping on the floor....

I think that'll be from the evaporator, the condensate outlet on a 406 is 'conveniently' located under the handbrake and above the exhaust heat shield, allegedly.

[adam03031980]

It has a greasy feel but is clear and has not odour or not much of an odour if its diesel can that lose it odour im kinda hoping its ac but I don't use it at the moment have deliberately avoided it for 2+ weeks to try and find the problem its definitely not coolant that never goes down and I dive 100 miles a day so would have been noticeabl4e by now I only ask about diesel as I can faintly smell it in the vents but.

[Welly]

Easiest way to check if it's Diesel is to throw a bucket of tap water over the suspected patch - if pretty rainbows form then that'll be Diesel.

[Welly]

the condensate outlet on a 406 is 'conveniently' located under the handbrake and above the exhaust heat shield, allegedly.

The idea is supposed to allow the warty to boil-off, typically French and quirky but they didn't want it to look like the 406 has done a little wee every time you stopped. I think the idea came from the 405 if you remember they were being made with free a/c at a time when no-one really had it....consequently no-one understood that it was supposed to leak condensate either and lots of confusion ensued. The fact that the drip-on-eggsauce doesn't work is irrelevant, at least they tried

My Volvo's condense drain does a series of sharp turns.....and then does the dribble-on-cat trick....only the last turn is so tight it likes to block up....and flood the cabin.....I'm dead cool though and clear it out periodically to prevent the trouble

Carry on....

[Rolebama]

I would be inclined to suspect brake fluid. It can be clear and have an 'oily/greasy' feel to it.

[simonc2409]

Adam,

Have you had a careful look at the clutch master cylinder behind the drivers side bulkhead? Mine went and leaked brake fluid which confused me for a while as I thought it was moisture from the aircon to start with but it didn't evaporate.